Venice to Marco Polo Airport

Having Venice, Italy as your last port of call is definitely a bonus. It is a stunningly beautiful city with a wealth of things to do and see. After getting off (they call it disembarking or something) the ship and spending 80 Euro on a water taxi (use the water bus or walk), I had 5 days to explore and get to know this wondrous city (future reviews coming). I’ve decided to start at the end, well because my pictures aren’t organized yet and you know how that is.
Anyway there are some things you need to know about leaving Venice, especially if you are going to Marco Polo Airport. If you are getting on a cruise or leaving for some other destination then you will probably use the nice new train station that is very visible, has its own water bus stop and a very steep bridge connecting it to the main island. If possible be prepared, know where you are going, and use the water bus because hauling your luggage up and down those bridges is quite a chore. Even though the signs at the water bus ticket booth say “one person and one piece of luggage” it’s basically a free for all, just get on and go. Just remember to validate your ticket in the little yellow box; I hear the fine is pretty hefty if they catch any freeloaders. During my time there I was checked twice in 5 days.
An experienced traveler (which I am not) that came in via train and knew they’re next stop was Marco Polo Airport would check the schedule while they were there at the station.
I on the other hand had gotten off a ship and assumed I would take the train to Marco Polo, similar to when I had arrived in Rome. This is not the case, there are actually two ways to get to the airport and train isn’t one of them. Luckily I went to the station the night before I left to check the schedule, what I found out is that you can only get to the airport by Bus or Water (the cheaper being bus at 3 Euro). I can only imagine how …… upset I would have been if I had hauled my 90 lbs. of luggage up and down those bridges to find out I was in the wrong place. The bus station is 90 degrees in the other direction, back across the bridge and over another and probably 600 to 700 yards away or you could just wait for the next water bus.
The ATVO Bus Station is located in Piazzale Roma over yet another bridge, just look for the ugliest building in Venice, then look for the smallest shop and that’s the ATVO Station Office.
Actually I had been using the PIAZZALE ROMA (ATVO Bus Station), PER RIALTO (Bridge between San Polo & San Marco), PER S. MARCO (Piazza San Marco), and ALLA FERROVIA (Train Station) signs since I arrived as general direction guides because it is so easy to get turned around in the winding alleys and waterways. These four signs are the most posted throughout the main islands and represent very different areas. They are usually posted 10 to 12 feet above the ground so look up.

In short, if you’re flying out of Mark Polo from Venice, take the bus.